Chelsea are well known for sending players out on loan but I doubt they would want to sell him. Even if they did I could see Charnley offering around £6 or £7 million because that’s our valuation of him then another club will come in and pay the full asking price.

Once Rafa leaves and the club is again left solely in the hands of Churnley and Mikey then we will go down. There are no two ways about it. Ashley has said he isn’t putting any more money in to the club. So no more “loans” to get us back up next time. He has to decide whether to cash in now or destroy the club.

Kenedy is 22 years old. I can’t see him wanting to go back to Chelsea and be loaned out again, or stuck in the reserves as it’s not as if he is 19. He is also nowhere near the Chelsea first team even if he does well for us particularly as Conte will be gone in the summer and his replacement will be given the usual cheque book to buy proven new players. He’s just one of the many (dozen) players that Chelsea have bought in the hope that they will find one world class gem among them. Atsu another example but I believe Kenedy is a better player than Atsu. So the likelihood is that he’ll be sold but – as always – there will be competition. I hope we go in for him and get him as I think he is EPL quality and has pace. It’s taken some time for him to get his match fitness but hopefully he’ll improve further as the season goes. The better he gets, the higher the price – so we won’t really know how much will be needed until the end of season.

He is concerned only now with control of the cash flow of the various revenue streams that surround but actually do not profit NUFC at all. That is the only hands-on aspect of his tenure. As an owner he is markedly stay-away. Im pretty certain Benitez and Ashley have met less times than fingers on one hand (didn’t mitrovic say he’s never even met him?). I’m also pretty certain that there has been no discussion about playing business at all, that will be funneled to Charnley and fielded by bishop.

Ashley clearly lied to us all in his forced PR camera interview on which he said he wouldn’t leave until we “won something”. The transfer business that ensued merely reflect the necessity of raising the club to a pl profile as this was directly affecting the brand marketing. We have not seen any player movement designed to assault champions league places, the title or any cups. I’m also pretty certain that Ashley when and if cornered about “winning something” will cite two championship titles.

Benitez was paid what he asked for, was allowed the staff he preferred, and operated on “getting every penny” from players sales and possibly whatever was surplus from profits each year, the problem being is that we make very little profit, and compared with other clubs our size and following, it’s pretty peculiar how little cash surplus the club has.

We are basically waiting until we get a serious buyer who has a different view of the club and how it can compete, or for Benitez to get tired and realise he will always be treading water and leave for pastures new.

Aye Jib, I didn’t realise Townsend spent three and a half months at QPR, one of half a dozen clubs he spent at on loan. Thick as pig shit me like. How you getting on try to find a host of left and right footed CB pairings you doylum.

On Townsend didn’t want him first time around but then mellowed on his peformances.

His leaving for Palace (!) soured me again and said a lot about his aspirations and neing happy to dispense with benefit of a top class manager’s guidance – so at an inflated price surely Rafa could do better.

Was he so good in Rafa’s eyes that he will be happy to have waited 2 years for him and pay more? Surely not and what about Ritchie and Murphy? Might sell former to pay towards a fee for Townsend but I know whose attittude and application I prefer.

Thanks magscar but that wasn’t analysis it’s all pretty superficially obvious. There are no other motives except greed that hallmarks a man who amasses a fortune he probably cannot spend although he probably doesn’t want to.

Delving into his motives other than this is pointless, Ashley goes where the money is and everything else falls into line behind him. You won’t see Ashley the man interested in football again.

Well he was very keen on staying until he made that England preliminary squad Jail. He changed his tune after that. So I think he was telling the truth to be honest and he was very keen on returning six months later when he realised he’d been sold a pup.

Quite agree that with a lot of rich people (including footballers pop and film stars) there never seems to be enough)

Whilst much of what you say is obvious I don’t think the speculation of likes of myself RobLeenio. Nicky and other takes much thinking about either – he will protect his asset if no sale and any benefit to us is purely coincidental

I have to be honest for as many good performances Kenedy has had he also has about the same number of poor ones. He also never seems able to last a full game and always looks knackered after about 60 – 70 minutes. So I’d like to see him in a few more games before we commit to splashing the cash!

There are a few young Brazilians who have similar problems, fitness wise. The game is completely different over there with emphasis being on the ball and technicality. Considering he’s hardly played during his time at Chelsea you can forgive him for his fitness shortcomings. This is one thing that can be improved easily enough and he’ll keep getting better and stronger with age.

I wouldn’t pay £25m for Townsend. He’s good but not worth that much. Especially not as wingers aren’t a priority right now. And he’ll be 27 when next season starts so he’ll be losing his pace/ getting injured over the next few seasons.

Also I wouldn’t spend more than £8m on any player from the Turkish league. A quick look on whoscored.com shows Bafetemi Gomis is the top player scoring 25 goals in 23 games with Vagner Love and Emre and a host of other players you thought were retired making up the rest of the top ten. For what it’s worth our guy rates as Besiktas’s 8th best player. Might as well bring Emre back.

We should raid the championship. Prices are decent and the odds of them being a success seem much higher than from players coming from Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Netherlands.

Kenedy will, I think, be one of the first names on our game day team sheet if we can pry him away from Chelsea. That won’t be the case there. So if he’s looking for first team football and Ashley (or hopefully a new owner) will pay the asking price, or close to it, I hope we sign him. But this is all dependent on us remaining in the Premier League, and that’s looking more and more likely. Fingers crossed!!!

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It is as it is - these things happen - and I will do my very best under the circumstances.

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